Fatty acids Omega-3 can be safe drugs against precancerous colon polyps

The authors of the study claim that a new type of treatment is as effective as the drug Celecoxib, however unlike Celecoxib, it has no adverse effects on the heart.

The study results, published in the journal Gut, are obtained by observing 55 people with a predisposition to the onset of polyps in the colon. This condition, known as a family polyposis, points to a particularly high risk of developing colon cancer and necessary surgery.

The study participants were divided into two groups, one of which received 2 g daily of purified omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids during 6 months, and the other was given a placebo.

Among those who received placebo, the number of polyps increased by almost 10%, and among those who took the medicine, their number fell by 12%. The same thing happened with the size of polyps: in patients taking placebo it increased, in those taking omega-3 it decreased.

According to researchers from the University Hospital of St James in Leeds (UK), polyunsaturated omega-3 are perfectly safe and even have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, so the results of this study is an ideal option for those who are at risk of developing a rectum cancer and a heart disease in the same time.